Button-making machine



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BuTToN MAKING MACHINE.

(Application led Mar. 23, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND G. RODLER, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

BUTTON-MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,184, dated February 28, 1899.

Application tiled March 2 3 l 89 7.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND G. RODLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button-Making Machines; and 1 do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in button-makin g machines; and it consists in a rotating disk provided with a series of perforations near its outer edge in which the upper ends of vertically-moving pins are placed and in which perforations the buttons are placed, combined with a stationary disk having a cam-shaped flange formed thereon and upon which fiange the pins travel for the purpose of giving them a vertical movement,

a revolving disk or grinder for cutting away one side of the buttons, and a device for sweeping the buttons from the revolving disk, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide a mechanism to be used in the manufacture of buttons by means of which button blanks or disks may be reduced to an equal thickness while being carried horizontally around.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a machine which embodies my invention, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portionof the revolving disk. Fig. 3 shows the operating-cam.

A represents an upright or wall which forms a support for the mechanism and to which the bracket B is secured in any suitable manner. Journaled in this standard A and the shorter bearing or standard O is the horizontal shaft D, which has a large beveled gear E upon one end to receive the driving power and a beveled pinion F upon the other. This pinion meshes with the beveled gear G, secured to the lower end of the shaft H, which is journaled in the bracket B, as shown. Projecting above the top of the upper arm of the bracket is the collar or circular flange I,

Serial No. 628,822. (No model.)

I and upon the top of this circular ange is placed a ring or bearing J. Olamped to the ange I by suitable set-screws K is the stationary disk or table L, which has the camshaped flange M, upon which the verticallymoving rods or pins'N travel. This flange is made higher at certain parts than others and the shape of the highest part is about as shown. To the under side of the disk or table L are secured suitable supporting-ribs O, which extend from the collar P at the center to the outer edge of the table.

Olamped rigidly to the upper end of the shaft H, so as to be made to revolve therewith, is the table yor disk Q of any suitable width and which has a series of perforations R made through its outer edge and the vertical ilange S, formed on its under side. This liange S may have any desired width; but it should be made wide enough to hold the pins N in a vertical position as they are carried around by the table or disk Q upon the flange or track M of the stationary table L. As these pins are carried around by the upper table or disk Q they are given a vertical movement through flange S by the cam-shaped ange M for the purpose of raisin g the buttonblanks to the grinding-wheel when the pins reach the higher part of the iian'ge or track and then eject them from the openingsR when the highest part is reached. While the pins are traveling upon the lower part of the iiange their upper ends sink sufficiently far to allow the button-blanks to be freely inserted into the holes R, and as the pins are raised by the flange the blanks are presented to the under side of the rapidly-revolving emery-wheel T, which is placed just above the table at any convenient height, as shown. This wheel may operate upon one or more blanks at a time, as preferred, and while the buttons are being operated upon the pins are traveling upon the next to the highest part of the iiange, and after the blanks pass from under the wheel T the pins are raised by the highest partof the flange through the openings in the upper wheel Q, and thus push the reduced blanks from the holes R in which they were held. Projecting diagonally acrossone side of the table Q is a rod or device U, which sweeps the blanks from the table as they are IOC raised bythe pins from the perforations R in which they were held. As the pins are of exactly the same length, each button-blank is raised exactly the same distance, and hence the Wheel T cuts away their upper surfaces, so that every button is made of exactly the same thickness. Of course the thickness of the buttons may be varied at will by having different lengths of pins or by having a nurnber of flanges or tracks M, which are made removable from the table L, as may be preferred. The emery-Wheel T is secured to the upper en'd of the shaft V, which is provided with a driving-pulley W and a beveled pinion X, and this shaft is journaled in a bracket Y, )vhich is secured to an upright Z, as shown. The blanks are fed to the perforations in the vtable in anyy Well-known manner, and the wheel T is made to rapidly revolve just above the edge of the table Q, as shown. Thickness of buttons may also be varied by loosening the set-screws in the downwardly-extending flange or collar of the lower disk or table and then turning up or down the set-screw which extends through the lower arm of bracelet This forces the lower table upward or allows it to drop, and thus you will see varies the amount of button which is subjected to the emery.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- In a button-making lnachine, an operatingshaft, a revolving table provided with perforations to receive the button-blanks through its outer edge, and which is secured to the shaft; a series of vertically moving pins which operate in the perforations to raise the blanks, and a stationary cam which forms a support for the lower ends of the pins, combined with a stationary sleeve surrounding the shaft and to which the cam is secured, a bracket or frame in which the shaft revolves, a set-screw which passes through the frame and bears against the lower edge of the cani in relation to the table, and-a loose collar J placed upon the shaft, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FERDINAND G. RODLER.

W'itn esses:

M. A. BLAIR, l. C. ANDERSON. 

